"MISSIONS TO THE COLOURED RACES."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 49, 5 April 1895, Page 17

"MISSIONS TO THE COLOURED RACES."

f^ N the recent encyclical " Longinqua Oceani jt Spatia," addressed to the Bishops of North \ America, the Holy Father alludes to the deplorj« able spiritual condition of the Indians and |S Negroes, and, with well-timed words, directs { attention to the necessity of apostolic work in this "• extensive missionary field. It seems a shame that, out of 8,000,000 of negroes in the United States, only one in fifty should be Catholic. The want of success is owing in great part to the want of suitable labourers, but principally to the want of means to establish Catholic schools. Without Catholic schools, among whites or blacks, there can be no real advance. Fully a million negro children never enter any school, Catholic or Protestant. Ihe coloured population is increasing with such rapidity that, it is commuted, backs will outnumber whites in less than fifty years '1 he outlook for the country is serious. The mass of ignorance and brute force, unless the Church makes its restraining power felt, will with difficulty be stayed when finally it begins to move. The Indians, as far as Catholicity is concerned, seem to be in a better and more hopeful condition. Out of a total of 250,000, 100,000 are Catholics and the number is on the steady increase. Possibly some of our readers may say " The Christianizing of the Negroes and Catholic missions to the Indians supplies interesting subjects for Americans. How does the question concern us ?" In this way. " The empire of the Catholic Church," said Cardinal Newman, " is a con* tinual conquest." In general, as Catholics, we interest ourselves in the progress of Holy Religion everywhere. In particular, as Catholics of Australasia, wo naturally apply to ourselves the exhortation to apostolic work and charity contained in the words of the Sovereign Pontiff to our brethren in other lands. What Lko XILI says of the Negroes and Indians can be said mutatis mutandis of Maories and Australian Aboriginals. There is danger if we do not foster and help the native missions in our own midst that we shall not escape serious accountability : " Sanguis eorum super nos." There are over 40,000 Maories in New Zealand. The labourers are few and the native Catholic population is small. More than half a century has passed and a truly noble race has not yet been Christianised. Michael Angelo, pas sing through the streets, saw one day a rough, unhewn

block of marble, and exclaimed : " There is an angel there ! " lit* s<-t to work, and an ang lie form, with all tho perfection trivon by the* finished touch of a m JSt-r hand, wan '■\"!vr>d. Whcse fault is it that the rough diamond of New Zealand has not been better polished — that one of the fi icst races of the earth has been allowed to contract the v cos of the whites, and has not been effectively taught to acquire the virtues of Christianity ? The reproach which American Catholics confess they, in great degree, deserve, may, perhaps, be likewise cast, to some extent, on New Zealand Catholics. The practical question for us, however, is not the consideration of what might have been done bur what can now be effected. How can we beet further the cause of Catholic missions in the colonies ? In America there is an annual collection on the first Sunday of Lent for the missions to the coloured races. The money thus subscribed is spent principally in the founding and maintaining of Catholic schools. About thirty religious Orders of women devote themselves to the heroic work of instructing the negro children. Among them are to be found the Benedictine and Dominican nans, the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and many others. There are actually three coloured Sisterhoods, the Sisters Oblates, the Sisters of St Francis and of the Holy Family. The parents of the children, " though very often non-Catholic, are devoted to the Sisters." There are 103 Catholic schools with 8000 pupils. About thirty priests look after the spiritual wants of the negro Catholics, baptise annually about 5000 children, and receive on an averago about 700 adults into the Church. Labourers are few and means are straitened. The majority of the 150,000 nominal Catholics among the negroes of New Orleans are said to be practically lost to the Church through want of religious schools. Protestants, with abundance of material resource, are naturally making headway among a people who are said to be naturally religious. A considerable number are baptised in one sect oi another. They are converted, " get religion," and then, with the motto, " The blood of Jesus never burns," on their lips, believe that once " saved," no matter what they do, they can never get out of the happy state. The statement of a lecturer that two-thirds, or perhaps three-fourths, of negro coloured preachers led immoral lives must be received with caution, but it does not point to a blessed condition of things. Just as in New Zealand, the influence of the whites has not led to the greater purity of the coloured races. We complain of the demoralisation and forget who placed the greatest obstacles in the way of Christianisation. An idea of the immense field of labour to which tne Pope directs attention may be gathered from a few facts. In Virginia thera arc 050,000 negroes and 500 Catholics. In the diocese of Mobile there are as many coloured people, with 2500 Catholics. Florida has 1500 Catholics out of 150,U00. The dioces? of Nashville (Tenncsee), has 30 Catholics out of a negro population of 400,000. The present outlook of Catholicity among the Indians is more hopeful. In Washington territory, out of a total of 18,000 about 6000 Catholics are watched over by the Jesuit Fathers. The same Society attends to 4000 Catholics among tho 10,000 Indians of Montana. Bishop Marty, of Dakota, has in his diocese 4000 Catholic Indians, 17 priests, 12 churches, and '26 schools. There arc said to bo 40,000 Catholic Indians in the Vicariate of Brownsville (Texas). What a zealous missionary said of the natives of America can bo predicated of more places than the United States : " All will become Catholic, with God's grace, if we have men and means to carry on the work." Devoted men and women, too, are at work hare in our own midst. It behovep the children of white colonists to help on the great work by supplying the means for establishing schools and facilitating missionary labour. We have a good opportunity of easily doing our duty in the annual collection which, like their American Brethren in the Hierarchy, the Australasian Bishops have ordeiei for the aboriginal races.

Cardinal Mohan's hiatory of the Ctmrc'i in those colonies is now on the eve of publication. We need hardly remind our readers that the Bubject is one of great interest and it certainly loeea nothing under the treatmout given to it by the illustrious author. His Eminence's reputation bs a writer has long been established and holds a high place in ihe world of letters. Although the Church in Aus'ralasi* has cot lad its days of fiery trial, like those it passed through in other lands, v has not attained in these countries to its present Btandiag wi h ut witness ng periais of Hiffiiulty and opposition. Tbero were the 01.l pen 1 days la Australia, for examplp >

of which the Cardinal baa some harrowing incidents to relate ; there weie also the experiences of the early missionaries in New Zealand, which have provided bis Eminence with a slirrine theme. The book will be brought oofa f in n form in keeping with the position of its author and the important nature cf its contents. Its list of illustrations is very copiouß, embracing; portraits of the hierarchy and prominent member? of the clergy from the beginning. Pictures ol church buildings, cathedrals, churches, convents, and colleges are also numerous, and in every instance the plate hag bfen finely cxcCO ted. The book is ore, in short, that must form an acquisition to any library in the world and which, on the book-shelves of the Catholics of these coloniep, should be looked up"!n as indispensable. Thebk were large congregations last Sunday at the morning and evening services held in the Rom in Catholic Churcb, Paeroa, in honour of Ireland's patron Saint th^ Ohinemuri Gazette of March 19). At tho evening; service Father Hackett gave an interesting discourse on the life of St Patrick, which was attentively listened to throughout. He traced the history of St Patrick from the day of his captivity, and showed how God had blessed his work in a most miraculous manner. Touching reference was made to the trials borne by Irishmen under tbe penal laws, and also to the fidelity of Irish exiles in America and Australasia. At the morning service the choir gave a good rendering of a mass by Webbe, and in tbe evening hymns appropriate for the occasion were sung. Miss Lawless presided at the organ, and tbe choir at both services received valuable help from Mr and Mrs Whiitaker, who are here on a visit from HaweraOn Monday laßt (eayfl the Thames Star of the 20th inst) the Catholic Sunday School festival was held in Mr Flett's paddock at Parewai, and proved one of the most successful gatherings that has taken place for years past. During the day a programme of sports for the children was gone through. The Good Templar Band added greatly to tbe enjoyment of the day by contributing some excellent music. Tbe committee of ladies and gentlemen who had the affair in hand have every reason to feel gratified at tbe success which attended the gathering. M. BRTJNETIEBE, we learn, has followed up by ano'her article, also in the Bevue des JDevx Mondes, that from which, some two or three weeks ago, we made some quotations. We have not as yet seed the number of the periodical in which the article occars. We, however, 'gather that the writer seems very decided in his expression of opinion. • It is by the front door," he say?, for example, " that God must be brought back to ODr schools 1" Within the past few weeks (says the Enniscorthy Guardian of a recent date) the members of the Christian Brothers' community at Gorey have been residing at tb>ir new residence which occupies one of tbe prettiest situations that could posßibly be commanded. The exterior and interior are in thorough keepirg with one another. Quite recently Brother MacEviliy ha-? beet in receipt of a generous donation from Sir T. Q. Esmond?, M P , Ballinastragh, and also has been presented by him with a beautiful alt'tr w'nch h\d been in the oratory in Ballinastragh house for over a century. The^kindnesa of Sir Thomas Ksmonde to the Christian Brothers, and the many liberal Concessions that have been granted by him to ihe Brothers in recent years, are not 6uch as will be root forgotten by the townspeople of Gorey, whose children are receiving education of SLch superior aud intrinsc value trom the able Brothers. OUR friend of tbe Napier News is indignant. Our eltgant, refined, acd liberal friend eaye, in tff c', that the elitor of tbe Tablet is everything that he himself is not and nothing thut he is. " A greater bigot or a more vu'gar creature," hes\yp, " does not exist on any newspaper than the editor of thu New Zkala^d Tablet.' Ah well, we cannot do anything to mend the "bigo'ry." There we must nail ourcoloursto the mast — continuing to speak out unvarnished truth where religion, is concerned. But the vulgarity is ano her matter. There we may, perhaps with advantage, t-ike a polite hint. Next time, for example, that we have occasion to allude to the puppydog, we may try to avoid the plain raiie, and ppeak of the animal under some kind of a gloss. Tha*. perhapp, and otrer amendments of the same kind may raise us a peg or two in the scale of gentility and set us some slight degree nearer to the standard of our elegant friend. How would it sound ? A puppy-dog howling at the moon — the editor of the Napier News taking the Catholic bierarch" of the Colonies to task for forbidding their people to send their children to tha godless schco's or condemning mixed marriages. A youthful scion of the canine race baying the luminary of the night. That's putting it more prettily, is it not? Perhaps we are not so vulgar now. But our friend wants to know why, since Catholics may send their children to secular schools, when there are no others within rech, tney may not always do so Why, we learned the answer to that some fifty years ago as a school. boy— a secular schoolboy, too, for cur friend makes a mistake. The

editor cf the Tablet had oot had, as our frieud asserts, a " strictly religious training." la f&ct he was never at a religious school in all his life, &vi\ those " low and scurrilous " sen'euces, of which our friend Bccuses him, are of a strictly secular origin. Bat af'er all we do not know that there is anything very low and scurrilous about the " puppy dog." Why the Queen hersslf iasiid to ba very fond of him — though may be her Mnjesty uses more scientific terms. The answer, mia-itirm 1 , to our frieni's inquiry that we learned at school was contained in an old book called a " Delectus," and this was it— Nccessitas nun?iabet legem. And what was it tbat our friend had said about Father Hackett ? We had misled it, but if be will say it again we shall deny every void of it— a? leist in the sense in which our friend understands it. Father Hackett, we are convinced, never said anything in which wo cjuld h ivo the shghh st difficulty in supporting him. Again, our friend says he (our friend) had accused Father Hennebery of trjing " to separate husband and wife, fathers and children by telling tuem that their 'rav.r.ages were no marriages, aud they were living in. adultery.' " Father Ilennebery said nothing of the kind, and 'o accuse him of having said so is but to repeat an old calumny, ttnt at tha lime, 17 y^ars as*o, was completely refuted. As to the retolutian proclaimed by our friend, to continue, under a pre> tence of liberality— to air his anti-Oatholic venom and bigotry, that is a matter of course. The blackamoor cannot change his skin — nor can the puppy dog— to relapse, for the nonce, into our shocking vulgarity — refrain from howling at the moon. The art union in aid of the building fund of the new church at Petone will be drawn on Thursday, the 18ih inßt. All, therefore, who are interested in ths disposal of tickets will do well to make a last effort to get rid of them and ensure the success of the undertaking. Blocks and remittances should be sent in without fail on or before Tuesday, the 16th ins^, to the Rev Father Donnelly. Our contemporary the Triad makes its appearance this month in an enlarged form. This necessarily means a large addition of pleasant, and withal instructive, reading for its subscribers. The " Editor's Note Book " for the month contains details of a visit to Auckland and Napier, in which information respecting matters in those localities — etpscially referring to music— but embracing various other subjects, is very agreeably given. We reserve for future t-tudy an article headed " Why the ass is an ass " Any man of becoming modesty may Fusptct that its depths can reveal something to be studied in priva'e, for his particular admonition and improvement. Two musical supplements are atlached to the number: J. L. Hatton's "To Anthea," as eung by Mr Santley ; Chopin's " Marcbe Funebre," and Grieg's " Norwegibh." The Triad looks well under its new conditionp, and deserves a widu increase of circulation. MR Dalzul's motion, to which we rcf^r elsewhere, was carried in the House of Commons by 128 to 102. During tha difcussion and while the division was taken tbe leaders of tbe Government were absent from the chamber. Ministers, however, supported the motion, which was opposed by the Parnellites. The Eight Hon A. J. Balfour denounced laying the foundation of future difficulty by a colossal change which mußt, he thought, ultimately weaken the United Kingdom. John Twiss, found guilty at Cork of murder, and to obtain a reprieve for whom a strong effort was made, has, ne^ertheles?, bten hanged. Of the state of feeling on the matter the following sentence, from a speech made concerning it by the Mayor of Cork, will give our readers an illns'ration :: — '• It was his opinioD," be said, " tbfat Twiss was judicially murdered if cv-r a man was judicially murdered in Ireland." The Archbishops of Dublia and Cat-he), in seeding each a handsome subscription to the National Parliamentary Fund, through the editor of the Frce'tiaii's Journal, remonstrate with the party for their divisions and urge reconciliation and union. The Archbishops, nevertheless, recognise the necessity of supporting the fund. Wk record with regret the death of Mr Maurice Power, which occurred at Youghal, County Cork, Ireland, on December 5. Four of Mr Power's son?, and one of his daugters, are settled in Dunedin, where they are highly esteemed members of St Joseph's congregation.— R 1 P. The Very Rev Father Duvoy reminds his friends that the drawins; of hiß art-union will come c-ff iv Easter week. The holders of books, therefore, are requested to be punctual in sending in the blocks of tickeis sold by them. Mr George Le Lievre, 89 Princes street, Dunedin, may be applied to by all those who are interested in the making or repairing of electro-medical apparatus. The Government of the Colony offer priz 8 for designs of poitage and revenue Btamps.